Chapter 6: Game Changer

Chapter 6: Game Changer

Chapter 6:

Game Changer

T HURSDAY MORNING, the day before the special exam. Today was a special day off. I was usually a good sleeper, but I had an unusually sleepless night.

“I guess it’s true what they say, a lack of sleep ain’t good for you… I’m so tired…” I groaned.

When I got up, I saw that I had gotten a message from Kitou on my phone.

“Looks like Princess has finally settled on a plan of action, apparently,” I thought aloud.

She was finally going to gather the class executives to discuss their plans, and it was the day before the exam. Well, I say “discussion,” but it’s not like she was going to go into detail about her strategy. As always, Sakayanagi acted on her own. She would only tell the students what is necessary for her to carry out that action, using them like extensions of herself.

“Tch…”

In addition to the message from Kitou, I had received dozens of others. They were from the girl I was currently dating. Even though I remembered that we were together and chatting with each other just yesterday, and until pretty late at that, I had just dipped out of the conversation partway through, because it was just dragging on and on.

Where are we gonna go next?

I wanna eat that. I want this.

What do you like? What do you dislike?

I wanna see you. I’m lonely.

All just pointless crap, all the time.

“Sorry, I fell asleep. Lemme make it up to you next time, OK?”

I sent her that text, along with a cute, illustrated sticker, without feeling. I figured that would satisfy her for the time being. If she nagged at me, I could just throw her away, but there was still some information left for me to pick up. No matter what class it was about, no matter how trivial the info was, any info was good.

I put that girl out of my mind for now—there was the matter of Sakayanagi to deal with. That kept me up at night. What was the strategy? And even before we considered that, what should I do? With the final exam approaching, my anxiety was getting stronger by the day.

We could lose to Ryuuen in a direct conformation and a large number of Class Points would move around. That had to be avoided at all costs. I needed to do whatever I could, right?

6.1

S AKAYANAGI DIDN’T BOTHER fretting over a meeting spot. Karaoke, or a room in the dormitory, to avoid being seen was fine. Or even in the special building or behind the gym. Anywhere that was a good place to have a confidential conversation. From Sakayanagi’s point of view, she probably didn’t care; she didn’t think she was spilling secrets.

Today, as always, we went to the most bustling cafe in Keyaki Mall. Sakayanagi seemed to be enjoying a moment of leisurely comfort together with Kamuro and Kitou, all of them seated together at a popular spot.

“Sorry for being a little late, Princess.” I sat down on an empty seat, remembering to use my pet name for her.

“Oh, you have a girlfriend? And one you’re especially fond of it seems,” said Sakayanagi.

“…Oh, I wonder if you saw us somewhere, then?” I asked.

Last year, all I had to do was keep an eye on the Class A students. Now that I was a second-year student, I had to keep the other eye on my juniors. I wondered if I had been too careless since I’d been seen. Nah, if a first-year were in the second-year student hallway, they’d definitely be noticed. If that was the case, then…

Was there a pawn that Sakayanagi had been holding onto in my class? In the majority of cases, she used Kamuro, Kitou, or me, but Sakayanagi accepted information over her cell. I had asked Sakayanagi about that before, keeping it light and casual, but I didn’t directly ask who. It was possible that, whoever it was, they were watching.

I decided that if it was a student in my class, then there wouldn’t be any need to rush to track them down. However, if it turned out that this wasn’t a coincidence, and this person was intentionally spying on me, I would have a problem with that.

“I’m pretty private when it comes to my love life, so please keep that on the down-low,” I added.

“Heh heh, I will not say a word,” said Sakayanagi.

“Okay, so? What are we talking about today?” asked Kamuro.

“Do you even need to ask, Masumi-chan? I’m sure you know already,” I replied.

“Back up. We’re not on a first-name basis,” snapped Kamuro.

“Sorry, sorry, my bad. Force of habit,” I said.

“‘Habit’? You’ve only done it a few times,” argued Kamuro.

“In my heart, you’re always Masumi-chan.”

“Gross.”

My familiarity repulsed Kamuro. That was just as well. If our positions were reversed, I bet I would’ve felt the same. I was playing the clown, though, so I needed to affect the mannerisms.

“Okey doke, let’s get this show on the road, Princess. We’re talking about the special exam, right?” I asked.

“No, we are not. Today is just a tea party,” replied Sakayanagi in a mocking tone of voice.

I forced a slight overreaction, sliding out of my chair.

“You didn’t hafta gather all your executives here for that, Princess,” I exclaimed.

“It’s an act for those outside our class,” said Sakayanagi.

An act? What? Don’t make me laugh.

“If Class A calls a strategy meeting, then students from other classes will inevitably whisper about it. Tensions will increase. They’ll put in every possible effort in order to win, won’t they?” I argued. I’d been simpering in the hopes of being let in on her secrets, but after yesterday, I wasn’t in the mood. “I don’t understand what we’d gain from doing something like that. Tell me.”

“We do gain something. It draws out the spirit of the three other classes, wouldn’t you agree?” replied Sakayanagi.

“…That’s supposed to be a benefit?” asked Kamuro.

Kuro and I were on the same page; that did not sound like a benefit. Far from it. What the hell was the point of getting people on edge when you instead wanted them to be proud and drop their guard?

“We want to enjoy the competition, do we not? We have been engaged in quite a bit of play as of late, like the cultural festival and the school trip,” said Sakayanagi.

She prioritized her own enjoyment, even if it meant lowering the odds of us winning or suffering some kind of disadvantage. That was how Sakayanagi had continued to play her cards during her reign, as the leader of our class. Our classmates tolerated that because it led to good results—she had a history of steadily accumulating Class Points.

However, if that track record were to disappear, Sakayanagi’s value would suddenly plummet. I didn’t know who else saw that possibility for her except me. Should I say something? Probably not.

After finishing what really was just a simple tea party, I went into the bathroom near the east exit. I wasn’t going in there to do my business nor to have a secret chat with somebody; it was just a habit that I couldn’t shake. I entered the stall furthest in and locked the door. The lid opened for me cheerfully, and I pulled down my pants to sit and think.

The stalls in Keyaki Mall were always kept pristine, so it never felt uncomfortable here. There weren’t even any nasty odors. To be honest, I didn’t really mind places that had a certain amount of filth and stink anyway. The BGM playing throughout the mall amounted to nothing but empty noise, but I closed my eyes and leaned forward, placing my arms on my knees.

At school, which had little privacy, it was an exceptionally useful place—a priceless treasure. It didn’t have to be a bathroom specifically for me to hide in, but habits really are tough to break. I remained in the stall for the next thirty minutes or so, without even once taking my phone out.

“Guess I should head back,” I muttered.

When it felt like everyone in the bathroom was completely gone, even from the handwashing stations, I got up off the toilet, flushed, washed my hands, and then left the bathroom.

“Looks like you’re finally done with your shit.” Ryuuen leaned against the wall near the entrance to the restroom, phone in hand, sneering at me.

“How long have you been here?” I asked.

“I was just wonderin’ how things were goin’. Let’s you and me have a chat,” said Ryuuen.

“Come on, man. The special exam’s tomorrow, remember? If people see me together with you in a place like this, who knows what people’ll think. You could’ve come to my room or something,” I replied.

“If yer innocent, then just act confident,” said Ryuuen.

“You’re being ridiculous. Make it quick, will you?” I replied.

It was one thing for me to do the contacting, that was fine, but I didn’t like being taken off guard. That was especially true in Ryuuen’s case because he was sloppy. However, having a dialogue with him was unavoidable if I wanted access to the inner workings of his class. They were stormy seas, but the more I could see, the more I could ride those waves.

6.2

I SPENT MY whole day off, from the morning on, with Kei at Keyaki Mall. I think she was able to enjoy herself well enough, though she occasionally expressed her anxiety about tomorrow’s special exam. We returned to the dormitory together, talking about trivial nonsense on the way.

While we were walking, my phone rang. It was Kanzaki. Kei peeked at my phone, wondering who I had gotten a call from but immediately lost interest once she saw the name and took out her own phone to play with. We stopped in place and I answered.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Where are you right now? I went directly to your room, but you aren’t back yet.”

“I’m heading back right now. What do you want?” I asked.

“Could we have a moment to talk? I’m here, and so is Watanabe. Would that be all right?”

I sometimes talked to them when we would meet up somewhere, but it was unusual for them to come directly to my room spontaneously.

“I’m on my way back right now,” I replied.

“May we continue to wait outside your room?”

I told him that was okay and then ended the call. Kei also put her phone back in her pocket at the same time.

“What did Kanzaki-kun want? I heard Watanabe-kun’s name too,” said Kei.

“Dunno. Apparently, they want to talk to me, and they’re waiting outside my room. Sorry, but you and I are going to have to call it a day,” I replied.

“Okay. Are you close with those two?”

“I was in a group together with Watanabe during the school trip, but we’ve only recently started talking.”

“Oh? Seems like you’ve been making a lot of friends, huh?” Kei nodded her head a few times, sounding deeply impressed and proud of me.

We rode the elevator to the fourth floor. When the doors opened, I saw them: Watanabe and Kanzaki. Watanabe noticed us and waved.

“Okay, text me later! Oh, but no rush, you can totally take your time,” said Kei.

Kei spoke with a smile on her face, because if it was guy friends, then there was no problem. She welcomed me spending time with men anytime. Now that Kei and I had made up, she had much less anxiety.

“I apologize for the unexpected visit. Were you by any chance planning on spending time alone with her?” asked Kanzaki as I approached.

“You don’t have to worry about it. Besides, it’s not often that you two come to see me. Come in,” I replied.

I unlocked the door and invited them inside. The two of them looked somewhat bewildered when they looked around the living room, probably because it was so colorful. The girlish presence was quite strong. I directed them to sit down and asked them what they wanted to drink. However, shortly after I headed into the kitchen, Kanzaki stood and followed me.

“I was asked to keep this quiet because they weren’t sure if they could come earlier or not, but after I told them that I had just met up with you, two more people asked if they could come. Do you mind?” asked Kanzaki.

“Okay, well, I’ll have to get them refreshments too. Who’s coming?” I asked.

“Ichinose and Amikura,” said Kanzaki.

I didn’t have any problem with adding more people, but I couldn’t guess what was going on based on this particular crew. Kanzaki was part of the reformist camp, so to speak, who was now making moves because he wanted Ichinose and the class to change. On the other hand, Ichinose was part of the conservative camp, who wanted to maintain the current situation. It seemed like Ichinose was keeping an eye on Kanzaki. Or maybe I was just reading into things too deeply. There wasn’t any sign of Himeno or Hamaguchi—Kanzaki’s supporters—coming either.

“We have settled on a course of action for our class regarding the upcoming special exam, and Ichinose said that she wanted to have a final, brief check with you, Ayanokouji. However, I don’t know if there will be any benefit to you in hearing what we have to say,” said Kanzaki. He was apologetic and not exactly thrilled about the topic of conversation.

“Nah, I don’t mind. How did Watanabe and Amikura end up being part of this, though?” I asked.

“Watanabe and I just happened to run into one another while I was on my way to your room, Ayanokouji,” said Kanzaki.

“Yep, coincidence,” added Watanabe.

I guessed that he probably caught wind that Amikura would be coming somehow and pretended it was a coincidence so he could tag along. Or was I being too suspicious? I didn’t really care either way, so I held back from asking him. We turned on the TV and passed the time for about fifteen minutes until my doorbell rang. When I went to answer it, I found Ichinose and Amikura at my door.

They’d brought some snacks that they bought from Keyaki Mall as gifts. After preparing drinks for everyone again, I adopted a listening posture.

“You might have already heard this from Kanzaki-kun, but I really wanted to talk to you about tomorrow’s special exam, Ayanokouji-kun. I’ve been thinking about coming to you for a while. I’m really sorry for the short notice,” said Ichinose.

Oh, so this wasn’t spur of the moment, hm?

“I don’t really mind, but I’m not the leader. If you want to know about our class’s internal affairs, or if you want to find out what our plans are for the exam, you’ll have to speak with Horikita directly,” I replied.

“Oh no, it’s okay. Actually, if anything, it’s more like something we wanted to tell you,” said Ichinose.

“Hold on a minute. Before you talk to Ayanokouji, there’s something I’d like to ask you first,” said Kanzaki.

“Hm? What is it?” asked Ichinose.

“If this is about collusion or something along those lines, I’d like to make it known that I am firmly against that,” said Kanzaki, preempting that conversation.

He was only worried about cooperation between two classes, not four, so he meant something specific.

“You’re worried about the possibility of me having all four classes get the same score, right?” said Ichinose.

“Bluntly, yes,” replied Kanzaki.

“Why didn’t you bring that up during the class meeting?” asked Ichinose.

“If I voiced a statement saying that I was against colluding, but then you spoke up and were in favor of it, they would have supported you just to support you. I wanted to avoid that. I cannot do anything if there are talks going on behind the scenes without my knowledge of course, but I could not let talk of collusion happen right before my eyes,” said Kanzaki.

Kanzaki had preferred to put a stop to the idea in a more private setting, like now. With me lending a helping hand in reforming his class, he could use me as an ally to thwart collusion. I’m sure he must have factored that into his plans.

“The special exam is tomorrow though, right? Isn’t it a bit late to propose having all four classes collude now?” asked Amikura. It was common sense.

“Normally, yes, you’d be right. However, Ichinose being Ichinose, I wouldn’t be surprised if she were thinking about it until the very last minute, to avoid the risk of expulsion. She could even change her mind to protect her friends,” said Kanzaki.

“If all four classes were clearly aligned on a plan like that ahead of time, and such a thing were solidly feasible, then yes, I would be open to considering a proposal like that. Even if we lose Class Points, if all classes got the same result, it would be perfectly fair. And as you said, Kanzaki-kun, I have been thinking about the feasibility of that, even now,” replied Ichinose.

Kanzaki, hastily jumping to the conclusion that the development he had feared was happening, tried to argue back. “Just as I thought… However, that would mean we would lose our chance to move up the rankings and—”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t come here to ask Ayanokouji-kun to collude with us,” Ichinose cut in politely, gently putting a stop to Kanzaki’s protests. “If that were my intention, it would’ve made more sense to talk directly with Horikita-san,” he added reassuringly.

Kanzaki most likely wasn’t comforted by Ichinose’s words. Even if they weren’t talking about collusion, if she put forward a strategy that was meant to avoid expulsion, that would be a similar outcome. If she stuck with a stance of protecting her classmates even if it put her at a disadvantage, victory would likely move further out of their reach.

To keep his anxiety from showing outwardly, Kanzaki clumsily made a show of being relieved. “In that case, good. I am sorry for derailing the conversation like that. I guess I do that. I’m a pretty bad conversationalist.” said Kanzaki.

We assured him it wasn’t a problem.

“Kanzaki-kun, it seems like you’ve gotten to be really close with Ayanokouji-kun,” observed Ichinose.

“…Oh?” he asked.

“Yeah. I think that if you were the old Kanzaki-kun, even if you had something on your mind, you wouldn’t have said anything about our class in front of him. I’m sure that if, for example, it was Hirata-kun or Kaneda-kun here, your response would’ve been totally different.”

Kanzaki cocked his head to the side, confused. Shortly after Kanzaki started making his move with Himeno and the others, Ichinose herself had already sensed that things were changing.

“Enough about me. Continue with your conversation,” said Kanzaki.

Ichinose responded to him with a smile and a nod, and then turned to me.

“So, the reason I came to see you, Ayanokouji-kun, and not Horikita-san, is…”

I prepared myself, wondering what she was going to say, but when she finally came out with it, it wasn’t a big deal, honestly. What she said was closer to a list of aspirations, like that she wanted to win together with her friends, and that she didn’t want to lose. Expressing such notions didn’t require a big meeting. Even Kanzaki, who had been listening along with a stiff expression at the start, relaxed his guard partway through.

Once that was over, our get-together switched to being a casual chat—no more mention of the special exam at all. The presence of Watanabe, the life of the party, kept the conversation animated, and our meeting ended like a normal, friendly get-together. It was around six o’clock in the evening, and was already darkening outside, when Kanzaki suggested we wrap things up. Our meeting had ended. Ichinose and Amikura left through the entranceway to my room first, followed by Kanzaki, and then finally Watanabe.

“Man! I wasn’t sure what was gonna happen today, but it ended up being lots of fun!” exclaimed Watanabe.

I signaled Watanabe with my eyes, telling him, “ That’s because you could talk with Amikura without worry, right?” When he got my message, he responded with a big, bright smile.

After I shut the door on the final parting words of “Sorry to have bothered you! Thanks for having us!” my room immediately fell back into silence. The sounds coming from the TV hadn’t reached my ears until just now, and it was so harsh and annoying that I immediately turned it off. Then, when I reached over to pick up the cups left on the table…

Ding dong . My doorbell rang.

I still hadn’t contacted Kei yet, so there was no way that she would’ve come back without checking. Who could it be? I wondered. I opened the door while thinking that this was a little bit curious. When I opened the door, I saw Ichinose standing there, who, for some reason, had returned alone.

“I’m sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. I think I forgot my phone…” said Ichinose.

Ah, was that all?

“Your phone? Where was it? I’ll go get it for you,” I replied.

“Um, I think it’s probably under the table. I’m really sorry,” said Ichinose.

It wasn’t unusual for people to forget their phones, and I supposed Ichinose was no exception. Our cell phones were a necessity in our daily lives, and since we spent a lot of time with them, it was easy for people to accidentally forget them, only to quickly realize they were gone. Kei often forgot her phone in my room and would hurriedly come back and get it in a panic.

“Wait a minute,” I answered.

I had Ichinose wait in the entranceway of my dorm and I went to check under the table. I immediately noticed that there was indeed a cell phone right next to where she’d been seated. After ten or so seconds of searching under the table and walking back to the door, I handed the phone back to Ichinose.

“Thank you. I’m sorry to have bothered you again,” said Ichinose.

“No worries. See ya later,” I replied.

“…Hey, um, would it be okay if I talked to you for a little while?” asked Ichinose.

We had already chatted quite a bit, but girls could jump from one conversation to the next. I nodded in approval, feeling more understanding than surprised.

“If people were to see the two of us alone though, they might get the wrong idea, so why don’t we lock the door?” said Ichinose.

She turned around and reached out for the front door, but then she quickly changed her mind, and refrained from doing so.

“Actually, no, wait, that’s probably not okay. If we were in a locked room… That would look worse,” said Ichinose.

Thus far, it wouldn’t have appeared like we were meeting alone. In fact, Ichinose’s classmates were here with us until just moments ago. However, if we locked the door behind us, then it’d be a different story. People would probably think that we were doing something to feel guilty about. Something that we didn’t want others to see us doing. Something like that.

“Mako-chan and the others headed back. I told them that I forgot my phone in your room, Ayanokouji-kun, so even if someone sees us here together right now, we have a good excuse,” said Ichinose.

To me, it sounded only like she was explaining her intentions.

“Did you forget your cell phone on purpose?” I asked.

“What do you think, Ayanokouji-kun?” she asked. Ichinose smiled, as though I’d said exactly what she wanted me to. That was a little unexpected.

“Seems like I hit the nail on the head…”

Ichinose couldn’t resist in the face of my questioning, and she admitted to it, while looking sad and downcast. “I wanted to meet you. I wanted to be alone with you, Ayanokouji-kun, just the two of us, no matter what… Do you think that I’m repulsive…?” asked Ichinose.

“Repulsive? Why would I think that?” I asked in return.

“Because…I mean, I’m coming to see a boy who has a girlfriend, and…” said Ichinose.

It was true that it would be easier for me to understand if our situation were reversed and it was a guy going to see a girl. A guy risked looking like a stalker if he did that. However, ultimately, interpretation of such actions depends on the attitude of the person on the receiving end. If that person disliked the other, then they’d be a stalker; if they liked the other person, not so much.

“It would be weirder to come see a guy who has a girlfriend out in the open. I’d say you’re showing me more consideration this way,” I replied.

If Ichinose forced her way into my room, it would be extremely difficult for me to smooth things over with Kei. By creating a situation like this, even if Ichinose and I are meeting alone, it would be easy for me to play it off as something I was forced into.

“…Really? You really don’t think that I’m repulsive?” asked Ichinose.

“Really, I don’t,” I answered.

As I looked at Ichinose right now, there was only one thing that I thought.

She’s becoming a much more interesting subject.

Ichinose slowly drew closer to me and pushed up against my chest.

“That was an accident… I stumbled and was about to fall, and you just helped me, is all… Right?” said Ichinose.

“Yep. No clue as to why you’d do it on purpose,” I joked.

I felt like Ichinose was probably smiling, though I couldn’t see it.

“I love you so, so much, Ayanokouji-kun. I can’t help it… I’ve never been in love before. I get this strong feeling, like this is going to be the first and last time I fall in love or something. That’s strange, isn’t it?”

Ichinose was doing things that I could not have imagined her doing when we first met, and she was so perfectly calm about it. Her actions could be interpreted as attractive, even in the sexual, romantic sense.

Ichinose’s romantic love was a driving force. It drew out even more of her potential, a potential that she herself hadn’t noticed that she possessed. She used it for herself, to her own advantage.

Ichinose’s unchanging good-natured, gullible character. I had set up alien elements like Kanzaki and Himeno to try to disrupt that character, but so many unexpected things had happened. Of course, that wasn’t a bad thing—rather delightful, actually.

Now I could approach improving her class from two directions. Originally, there was only one line drawn, only one outcome—likely failure. From there, I created a new line, to increase the odds of her class’s survival. However, that line was still likely to end in disaster. Ichinose introduced another change to it. It was difficult for me to judge whether this new special case, this new line, would succeed or fail at this current stage.

From Ichinose’s hair right below me wafted a scent so alluring I could barely describe it. It wasn’t just bath products.

“If we weren’t in separate classes, we could be together more regularly…” said Ichinose.

That’s when it happened. Without warning, the door to my room flew open.

“Hey, I’m really sorry, Ayanokouji, but I was just wondering if maybe you could give me some personal adv—”

It was Watanabe, who had been here with us until just a short time ago. I’m sure that Ichinose must have been on high alert just in case something were to happen. She had most likely considered the possibility that someone might unexpectedly show up. Even so, anyone would’ve expected him to at least knock. Someone simply waltzing in took me off guard.

I went stiff, I think. I couldn’t feel my body. Ichinose, unable to suddenly pull herself away now that we were close together like this, simply turned around in surprise.

“Whaaaaaaaaa?” blinked Watanabe.

Watanabe himself, who had opened my door without thinking, looked even more flabbergasted than either of us. It was only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Ichinose’s body heat, which I could feel through my clothes, suddenly went cold. It would be impossible to pass off Ichinose and I being in such close contact with each other as mere accident. Her “I was just about to fall” excuse had only worked as a joke.

Watanabe was still too flabbergasted to make sense of the scene, but that wasn’t going to last forever. Of course, I’m sure that it wasn’t just me who understood the seriousness of the situation—Ichinose knew. Watanabe’s response would determine Ichinose’s next move. There was nothing I could do, so I had to leave it to the two of them to take the lead.

“Oh, ah, uh, erm, I, uh, sorry! I didn’t knock…so…okay, bye!” shouted Watanabe.

Watanabe’s decision in this impossible situation? Run away. Watanabe tried to close the door, but Ichinose moved even quicker. She stopped the door with her hand.

“Watanabe-kun,” said Ichinose.

“Y-yes, ma’am?!” he wailed.

Watanabe spoke formally and stood at attention.

“Will you please come inside?” she asked.

“Well, uh, but, I’m uh, bothering, I mean, being a bother! And my stuff isn’t that, uh, a big deal!” he sputtered.

“Please? Come inside?” asked Ichinose again.

“…O-okay,” replied Watanabe.

Because she was looking at Watanabe, I couldn’t see Ichinose’s facial expression, but when she turned around, I saw that she had that same kind, warm smile that she always showed to everyone. There was no sign of her being panicked or flustered. She must’ve been upset and scared the moment that Watanabe saw us, but she’d switched gears and acted decisively. She pulled Watanabe into the entranceway, and once the door was closed behind him, she asked for my permission and locked the door—now that Watanabe had come in, locking the door was no issue. Ichinose was thinking through every move. Her calm in an emergency was honestly impressive.

“Come on in,” I said.

Now that we were three, it was too cramped to talk in the entranceway, so we moved into my room. Emotions warred behind Watanabe’s stiff expression. From his point of view, the two people who should have been the most flustered of all in this situation didn’t appear to be perturbed in the least. It was understandable that he was terrified.

The TV was turned off, but the inside of my room was enveloped in a strange stillness. Watanabe hadn’t been forced or anything, but he lowered himself to the floor, kneeling with the tops of his feet flat on the floor and sitting on his soles—he was so stiff he looked a little dead.

“About what you saw earlier, that was all me. I selfishly did that on my own. Ayanokouji-kun is not at fault,” said Ichinose.

“Y-y-yes, of course, madam. I politely comprehend what you have communicated to my unworthy self , ” said Watanabe, awkwardly.

“Um, I’m a little uncomfortable with how formal you’re being,” said Ichinose.

“S-sorry…”

“I just hugged Ayanokouji without his permission. You saw that, right?”

All Watanabe could do was nod repeatedly, in calm, composed confirmation.

“I did something that I shouldn’t have. So, while I understand that I’m not qualified to say this and am not in the right here, I know that you’re not malicious, Watanabe-kun. You’re not the sort of person who goes around spreading rumors that’d hurt innocent people,” said Ichinose.

Ichinose didn’t use a simple method like telling Watanabe to keep his mouth shut. She considered how sorry he felt, and how down he felt, and tried to contain the situation by using his own conscience against him. It was unimaginably more effective than trying to intimidate Watanabe into silence.

“I am really truly sorry, Ayanokouji-kun, for doing that to you without your permission,” said Ichinose.

“Don’t worry about it,” I replied.

“It makes me happy to hear you say that, but if Karuizawa-san knew, she’d be mad… No, worse, she’d be devastated. I will accept whatever punishment you wish to give to spare her,” said Ichinose.

I would never punish Ichinose for something like that, and I’m sure they both knew it. What Ichinose said was probably her last push, to fill in that remaining 1 percent after she had already gone 99 percent of the way in reining in Watanabe. I’m sure Ichinose’s analysis of the situation was right on the money. However, she was pushing a little hard. There was an element of Ichinose’s natural good self unconsciously mixed in there, among calculated cleverness. The ratio was unclear though.

There was silence for a while. We couldn’t let the time pass without a word forever, obviously.

“I think it’s best that the two of you head out,” I said.

Ichinose seemed like she was waiting for me to say those words, because she softly mumbled, “Yes, you’re right.”

Watanabe, however, didn’t budge and showed no signs of standing up. He seemed to have calmed down though, having regained his composure after being so flustered moments ago. I wondered what he was thinking.

“Watanabe?” I asked.

When I called his name, Watanabe took a deep breath, and then looked at both Ichinose and me.

“Well, to be honest, I think I’m the one in the wrong here, not you folks, Ayanokouji, Ichinose,” he said. “It’s not polite to barge into someone’s room without even knocking. I don’t think my promise I’ll be quiet will reassure you enough, but… Well, I came back to your room because I wanted to talk to you, Ayanokouji. And, uh, well, since I’m here, I was wondering if maybe I could talk to you about my junior high days…?”

That’s right. I hadn’t heard the reason why Watanabe had come back to my room.

“Okay then, in that case, I’ll head on back already,” said Ichinose, motioning to leave.

“W-wait, please hold on. Actually… Ichinose, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to talk to you too,” said Watanabe.

It was a sudden request, but as there was no way that Ichinose could refuse him, she stayed put. Watanabe wanted advice. He began by telling us a story from his past.

“So, okay, I met the girl of my dreams when I was in my second year of junior high. I met this girl when I switched classes, and we became fast friends. At first, we started out talking just because we were sitting next to each other. She said I was funny. Then we got closer and closer. We were in the same group on the school trip this year. I knew that she was my destiny,” said Watanabe.

It might have been his first love, but looking at Watanabe, there was no doubt that it was a major one for him.

“I thought we were close, enough to the point that I was like ‘Hey, maybe this girl likes me too.’ But, well, it turned out that I didn’t know anything… That girl was actually going out with this high-energy, nice dude from the next class. I didn’t know about that at all, and there I was, my feelings for her growing.”

A one-sided love. Although the sexes were different in his scenario, you could swap out the players in his situation with me, Kei, and Ichinose right now.

“We would talk on the phone every single day, and chat about nothing until late at night, and—”

It didn’t feel like he was talking about happy memories. He had a pained, ashamed look on his face.

“This one time, we were having a lot of fun talking on the phone. The vibe was just amazing. She said that she liked me. I was so happy, I mean like, so happy… Then she asked me, ‘How do you feel about me?’ and I don’t even know how long it took me to respond and say that I liked her… I couldn’t say anything at all for about five minutes or so,” said Watanabe.

Watanabe let out a self-deprecating chuckle, with a look of slight embarrassment on his face.

“Was that girl dating the other boy at the time?” asked Ichinose.

The idea that this girl was about to start two-timing with Watanabe was the first thought that came to mind when hearing his story, but he denied it.

“No… I guess that she got dumped. I didn’t know how long before exactly, but I think their relationship probably started turning sour when she and I started talking on the phone,” said Watanabe.

In other words, this girl fell for Watanabe once she was a completely free agent. There was nothing wrong with that.

“I didn’t know about her past romantic relationships or anything at the time, but I guess because she got dumped by that kind, cheerful dude, she fell for me, as a rebound. I didn’t know that was where she was emotionally. I just got completely carried away,” said Watanabe.

Since they were junior high school students at the time though, they weren’t officially dating out in the open; it was a secret between the two of them. They talked on the phone, and they would sometimes go over to each other’s homes to spend time together. It sounded like it was smooth sailing.

“And, well, we only ever kissed twice, y’know? Well, actually, she was the one who kissed me, but still…” said Watanabe.

He looked somewhat ashamed when he said that.

As he continued to speak, it seemed as though Watanabe’s fate had taken a turn for the worse when he entered his third year of junior high. He and that girl were placed in different classes. Watanabe’s best friend from elementary school happened to be in that girl’s class, and apparently, he had fallen in love with her. I didn’t need to ask that many questions to understand where this story was going.

“In the end, she…she apologized to me over the phone, crying. She said, ‘Sorry, I can’t go out with you anymore…’ Stuff like that. She said she liked me over the phone and then she told me she didn’t like me over the phone. Funny, huh?” said Watanabe.

The girl had started dating his best friend.

“Personally, I guess I felt like ‘Oh well, nothing I can do…’ But still, it was tough. I think what hit me the hardest though, like a real knife to the heart, was when, a few months later, my best friend told me that he dumped her. He was laughing while he said it,” said Watanabe.

Watanabe’s relationship with that girl was a secret. That was why he felt like his best friend didn’t mean any harm. Of course, there was no way to deny the possibility that his best friend had indeed known that Watanabe dated her and was being cruel to him.

“I’m a coward when it comes to love… I thought that I’d never fall in love with anybody again, but as soon as I came to this school, I fell in love with another girl. I’m guessing you know what I’m talking about, right?” said Watanabe.

Watanabe was a positive person. I assumed he was a late bloomer, but he’d actually been through some heartache.

“So, uh, that’s basically it. I didn’t really want to tell anybody about my past because it’s just like, super disgraceful, right? That’s why I want you to believe me… I won’t tell anybody about what happened today.”

An exchange of shameful secrets. That was the best that Watanabe could do at the moment.

“So, uh, what I wanted to talk to you about today, was, erm, about the girl I like. It’s not like I’ve made, like, progress or anything, but, you know, like, how sometimes you just want to talk to a friend about stuff?” said Watanabe.

It sounded like Watanabe had just wanted to ask questions like “How did Amikura look to you today, from a third-party perspective?” “Did she look at me?” “Did I make the conversation fun?”

“Honestly, I was planning on coming back here alone to talk, just myself. But when Ichinose said that she forgot her phone, I shifted my timetable forward a bit and came earlier. I didn’t think that she would still be here,” said Watanabe.

Watanabe was probably feeling confused and flustered, of course. He had heard from Amikura and Himeno that Ichinose probably likes me. So, while that part specifically might not have come as a surprise to him, the embrace certainly did.

“This is an unrequited love on my part. Mako-chan and Chihiro-chan both know that I love Ayanokouji-kun, too.” Ichinose couldn’t hide it any longer, even though it was a bit of an open secret. “I came back to get something I lost, and I just succumbed to the temptation, that’s all.”

“I-I see… Temptation…” repeated Watanabe.

Watanabe nodded his head in understanding, but it was also clear that his confusion hadn’t abated fully. After all this was Ichinose. Unrequited love or not, I had a girlfriend, so the mood was serious.

“I think that I understand you better after our talk today, Watanabe-kun. You love Mako-chan, don’t you?” said Ichinose.

“Huh?! H-how do you know that?”

“I can tell by looking at you. You’ve really been looking at Mako-chan a lot, especially lately,” said Ichinose.

Ichinose wasn’t the only one who’d noticed it. But then again, his staring wasn’t exactly subtle.

“From what she’s told me, Mako-chan still seems to be in love with a former classmate of hers from junior high. But I think that she wants to put herself back out there, so there shouldn’t be a problem there. Of course, I don’t know who Mako-chan will go for or what her exact feelings are. Speaking as her best friend, I’d be happy if it were you,” said Ichinose.

This was a transaction so to speak, but Ichinose spoke with genuine warmth. Watanabe had tried to get forgiveness by telling us a secret from his past, and Ichinose intended to get additional insurance. She gave him information about what the current situation was with Amikura and indicated that she was willing to act as a go-between, depending on how the situation played out. Watanabe was timid, but his feelings for Amikura, whom he loved, were genuine.

He was going to try regardless. However, if Ichinose could give him a helping hand, it would be a godsend. She was an encouraging, heartening helper. Watanabe went from trusting Ichinose 100 percent to trusting her 120 percent. Watanabe was entirely in Ichinose’s hands.

“R-really? It’s okay?” he asked.

“Of course. First though, you need to start by closing the distance between you and Mako-chan,” said Ichinose.

“Y-yeah!” exclaimed Watanabe.

Watanabe nodded happily and somewhat excitedly. I’m sure that he was still feeling like he had seen something that he shouldn’t have, but that feeling would be gradually painted over. A love triangle. A scandal. This was just gossip people used to entertain themselves. If Watanabe were to spread what happened around out of a desire for attention, he would make Ichinose his enemy.

On the other hand, if he kept it to himself, then Ichinose would be a good friend. It was an advantage, and naturally, he’d want it. In the end, it didn’t matter to Watanabe at all if Ichinose and I were in the throes of a tragic drama if his own interests were met. Ichinose had seamlessly turned this vulnerable situation to her advantage.

Ichinose had sensed that Kanzaki and his followers were acting suspiciously. Watanabe, who had been on the side of the reformist Kanzaki, had now suddenly switched over to Ichinose’s camp. Even I didn’t know what to make of this turn of events. I had originally intended to use Kanzaki and his followers to deliver an explosive blast to the class, but Ichinose was changing it without my intervention. Would this strengthen or weaken the class? I didn’t have enough time until the end of the year to watch how it’d play out. By then, it might be too late.

6.3

Around eight o’clock in the evening, Hashimoto, alone in his room, let out a deep sigh.

“No word after all, huh? Guess that chick is really planning to just sit back and just let the exam happen,” huffed Hashimoto.

Even if I let things be, considering Sakayanagi’s accomplishments, her chances of winning were good. Seventy or eighty percent, probably. Sakayanagi would perform solidly and slide into first place—second place at worst. That wasn’t always going to be enough. There were some important things that I needed to do to ensure Class A’s future. I made up my mind and called Sakayanagi. That fight would determine everything.

“It’s unusual to hear from you at this hour, Hashimoto-kun.”

Sakayanagi’s voice sounded both mild-mannered and reserved as it came through on the other end of the line.

“Sorry to call you up like this, Princess,” I replied.

“I do not mind. Why are you calling?”

Sakayanagi’s calm tone made it sound like she had plenty of time to talk.

“Hey, so I had tons of fun at the tea party today, but there were a couple of things I wanted to bring to your attention after all. I did a bunch of research, and the results show that there doesn’t seem to be any danger of ‘that.’ I thought I’d report that to you,” I answered.

First, a jab. I created a flow so that I could probe her for more reactions. I would take my time. I had simulated this conversation over and over in my head after getting back to my room.

“What danger are you referring to?”

She knew what it was and coolly played ignorant. Being that way when dealing with an enemy was one thing, but I was an ally. She enjoyed making all the decisions on her own and did not want unsolicited input.

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? I’m talking about the possibility that the other three classes will work together to set a trap for Class A. If they work together, they could manipulate the scoring. If we go into this thing the respectable way, we wouldn’t stand a chance of winning,” I explained.

“My, my, you’re afraid of such small problems.”

How in the hell would making the other three classes our enemy be small? The possibility frayed my nerves, but I continued to investigate it regardless.

“You might not be worried, Princess, but for me, them making a faction is a threat as it will allow them to concentrate their fire on Class A,” I answered.

“Those from the other three classes are desperate to move up to Class A. They will want to get as many points as possible in the special exams, and it isn’t so simple for them to join hands for the sole purpose of forcing us off the throne.”

I mean, I got it. Even if Class A came in last in this exam, all that meant was the top was going to take a hit. That would be especially advantageous for Ichinose’s and Ryuuen’s classes but wouldn’t do much for them. If Ayanokouji and Horikita’s class took first place, that could also be seen as a loss from their perspective.

“If there’s someone lurking in the shadows who can make it happen though, that’d be a different story,” I argued. If Ayanokouji was who I thought he was, then he was more than capable of that.

“I will not deny the possibility. Did you really bother to call me just for that?”

Jeez, it practically sounded like she was saying, Thanks for wasting my time .

“No, no, there’s more. Actually, I’d say that this is the important part. I want to be useful to the class somehow, y’know?” I replied.

I passed on as much information about the upcoming special exam to Sakayanagi as I could—everything that I had collected before today. About how Kouenji and Horikita made a promise and that she was going to honor it. How Ryuuen seemed to be in contact with a student from our class, and although I was unable to identify who, they were up to something nefarious. And about which students in the other classes stood out and should be targeted for expulsion. Aside from that, there were other assorted details I passed on, even information that would be meaningless to an ordinary person.

“… And that’s all I have on Horikita’s class right now,” I concluded.

What I wanted Sakayanagi to buy was my enthusiasm. I wanted her to think that I was doing all of this because I wanted to make Class A’s position rock solid.

“It sounds like you have been zealous in your information gathering activities, Hashimoto-kun.”

It sounded like my wish was granted. The degree of my enthusiasm came across over the phone.

“Of course. Horikita’s our trip rival. She’s earning an incredible amount of Class Points. I want to get whatever information I can, no matter how trivial, and share it with you, Princess. In fact, it would have been best if I could have talked about it during the tea party,” I answered.

“You are an industrious worker. So, you are dating Maezono-san not out of love, but for information?”

There it was. Sakayanagi might not have had legs, but she had lots of eyes. I’d gone out on dates with Maezono out in public many times, so it was hardly surprising to hear that someone had spotted us. I told myself not to panic, to just calm down and deal with the situation.

“That’s just another strategy on my part. Where’d you hear about that, anyway?” I asked.

“I’m aware that you have been in contact with her frequently as of late. The audio data of the Ayanokouji-kun threat theory, which you had played for Masumi-san, must come from her as well.”

“My oh my. Did Masumi-chan tell you about that?” I asked.

This really was bad for the heart. If I hadn’t predicted the worst, I would be freaking out about now. I’m sure that even if I hounded Kamuro about this, she’d probably respond with something like “You never told me not to tell Sakayanagi. Even if you did tell me, it’s up to me to decide whether I tell her.”

“Anyway, please make the most of the information, Princess,” I concluded.

“I will graciously accept your kindness. While I am unsure how useful it will be exactly, I will be sure to capitalize on it.”

“Unless I’m mishearing you, it sounds like you don’t want to use my intel,” I replied.

“I already have a foundational strategy in place. I will not trust in or rely on solely the information that you have gathered. However, now that I have heard it, I suppose there are some things that I have no choice but to incorporate into my strategy.”

She wasn’t going to pretend she hadn’t heard it, but she didn’t sound happy.

“Are you saying it was unnecessary on my part?” I asked.

“Yes. If something unexpected happens during a special exam, that’s fun. You stole some of it.”

As usual, she was strangely honest. She thought of the class as nothing more than her private property and didn’t even try to fight for Class A.

This is just a pastime to you. Don’t involve me in something like that , I thought to myself.

“Is there a guarantee that you’ll win this time?” I asked.

“I will not lose. Just stand by and watch.”

If I were only going based on her self-assuredness and the results she’s given so far, then I might not have been so worried—but I was too informed not to be. Ayanokouji’s presence required a response.

“Oh, for the love of… You’re always just brimming with confidence. Fine, I get it. I’ll do what you say and stop worrying. As long as it goes smoothly, I’ll sit on the sidelines and watch,” I replied.

There wasn’t any point in trying to hound her; I’d done all that I could on this call.

“Please do. Goodbye.”

At some point during the call, though she had sounded normal, displeasure had crept into the edges of her voice. Sakayanagi hated help. She wanted to fight using only the information in her own head that she had gathered herself. While this wasn’t ideal, it was somewhat of a relief to me, in a way, like a weight off my shoulders.

“Serves you right,” I spat.

It felt good to say, but it wasn’t like my fight was over yet. The real fight was about to begin. I didn’t know many orders of magnitude of determination that I would need for my next move. Calling Sakayanagi was the first step. I needed to execute an entire strategy to win.